Gray Sunlight
by WinterVines
Summary: There were some things that Sakura wouldn't do, even if Tsunade asked. Letting go of him was one of them, especially when he was within reach. SasuSaku. Two-shot. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that's not mine. I'm also starting to think that I wasn't made to write anything _short_.

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Grey Sunlight

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The moon shone on the village hidden in the leaves, the streets bare and the night still.

Sakura turned onto the street leading to her apartment and heaved a weary sigh. After three days of traveling she was glad to be back home. She liked her position as one of the top medics in the village, but she couldn't deny that all the special requests she was sent on got tiring after a while.

Her recent trip had been to Earth country. It wasn't her favorite place to go, but because relations were strained with them, Tsunade was making an attempt to smooth things over. Apparently, that included sending out her apprentice to heal snobby, unappreciative nobles.

She didn't have to like them, but if it was for the good of the village she supposed she could do it. Besides, her shishou asked. She owed the woman a lot, even if she hadn't acted like a surrogate mother over the years. There was very little Sakura wouldn't do for her.

The medic stifled a yawn with the back of her hand as she mechanically neared her home. All she wanted was a hot shower and some sleep. She wasn't high-maintenance by any means, but sleeping on the ground every night for close to a week would make anyone long for soft sheets and fluffy pillows.

Sakura reached her door and slid her bag from her shoulder in order to look for her keys. Using the moon, she made quick work of her lock and didn't bother to turn on any lights as she dragged herself to her room. She deposited her bag of essentials in the living room as she passed it, deciding that unpacking could wait until tomorrow. She was going to wait on her report too. Tsunade would understand.

She changed out of her grimy clothes, showered, then fell into bed with a soft sigh. Snuggling into her nice clean, soft blankets, she hoped she could at least get a few hours of sleep before someone needed her. She faded into darkness soon after, too exhausted to even dream.

-

-

When Sakura woke, it was suddenly, with a jarring motion that brought her upright. The sun was already shining brightly through her blinds, and she felt groggy. For some reason, she felt like she was missing something or late for something important, and she looked around her room in confusion for a few moments trying to figure out what it was. She saw nothing out of place, remembered nothing she had volunteered to do, and rubbed her head as she attributed the feeling to her lack of sleep this past week.

At least she had more than four hours of sleep this time. Small victories.

When she managed to drag herself out from her covers and into some clean clothes, she found it was later than she thought. It was nearing noon, and she was surprised she slept that long. Even on her days off she usually never slept past ten. That was, if she wasn't coming off from a night shift.

She spotted her bag on the living room floor against the back of the couch when she came out of her room, and she was going to start putting away her equipment when an echoing knock sounding through out the room. Sakura frowned slightly and went to her front door, clearing her face as she answered it.

The familiar form of a messenger was behind it, their mask in place under a dark garb. There was silence for a few moments before he spoke, his voice as monotonous as she knew the majority of them to be.

"The Hokage requests you when you are able."

She nodded to him and gave a quiet, "Okay." The messenger was gone in the next instant, apparently satisfied with her answer.

Sakura frowned slightly as she stood at her door. The word choice was odd, even when her mentor was out of it. Usually, it was either 'right now' or 'come back later,' with the former used for summons and the latter used for visits. She couldn't recall a time when her teacher had called her at her leisure.

She had a thoughtful look as she closed the door behind her, deciding that now was as good of a time as ever. She needed to make her report anyway. Somehow, she didn't think her summon was about that. She still couldn't shake the feeling of being off as she made her way to the tower.

-

-

When she stepped into her mentor's office, she found Naruto and Kakashi already there. It was a little surprising, but nothing she really worried about. They were still officially a team, but all of them tended to stick to their own missions rather than go together. Naruto was busy training to take Tsunade's place sometime in the near future, Kakashi had semi-involved himself back in ANBU, and Sakura took special requests for medical attention outside the village when she wasn't working in the hospital.

What did bother her, though, was the slightly guilty look on Naruto's face. He was never good at keeping things, and even though she almost missed it, it was still there. Now that she paid attention to it, it seemed that Kakashi would not meet her eyes either. She tensed slightly, turning her attention to the Hokage.

"What's going on?"

Her mentor raised one of her hands in a placating gesture, and Sakura raised a brow. "Don't freak out." It was less a request than an order, and it set off the warning bells in Sakura's head. She didn't get the chance to say anything as Tsunade continued.

"Late last night, or rather, early this morning, Sasuke Uchiha was apprehended at the village gates."

Sakura breathed in sharply. That was the last thing she was expecting, and she knew it probably showed on her face. She kept her mentor's words in mind though, and knowing they probably expected some outburst from her, as Naruto would have done, she forced herself to envision the boring medical charts she had studied while she got her thoughts under control. Her head still spun.

She took a glance at the other two in the room and noticed that they did nothing. Realization dawned on her. "You knew." Her look made Naruto flinch, and for a moment, she didn't feel bad for it. They had probably told him right away.

Tsunade spoke up. "Kakashi assisted in the arrest. He went peacefully."

Sakura's brow furrowed as new questions bombarded her mind. She had no idea what he was doing here, but she knew that now wasn't the time to think about it.

She was slightly hurt that she wasn't told right away. Naruto had a few shadows under his eyes, signifying that he had a late night. It appeared that she was the only one that didn't know right away. She knew it was pointless to get angry about it, so she didn't. It was true that they probably knew she had been coming home from a mission last night, but she would have thought that they would understand this was something she'd like to know about. She still cared about her teammate. She may not be a love struck little girl anymore, but her feelings for her teammate were not going to go away. She decided to forgive them for now and stick to more important things.

"Where is he being held?" She was facing her mentor, so she had no idea if her flat voice had caused a reaction from her other teammates. If it did, she didn't mind. It would give them something to think about.

Her teacher was silent for a minute, and Sakura was imagining that she debated whether she should tell the younger girl. After a time, she did. "Holding cell three on the west end of town."

Sakura couldn't help the slight face she made. She knew that place. It wasn't pleasant.

"Can I see him?"

If Tsunade was surprised she asked first, it didn't show. She paused again before sighing and reaching up to rub her temples. "…Yes."

-

-

Sakura was slightly annoyed by the time she made it to Sasuke's cell door. It was still early enough in the day for her to be needed for anything, so she wasn't in a hurry. The guards at the entrance to his wing didn't do anything for her though, and it left her agitated.

Did she have access? She scoffed. She was the Hokage's apprentice. They knew that. More importantly, this was her _teammate_. There were some lines you did not cross when it came to that.

She stopped to take a calm breath. Getting angry wasn't going to help anything she knew, but it had felt good to get rid of some of her frustration. She needed to be calm to help prepare her for what she could see beyond this door. She noticed the chakra lock and knew this place was heavily guarded for a reason.

Still, a part of her hoped that the person on the other side would be one she recognized. She still remembered the coldness that radiated from him when they met at Orochimaru's hideout, and she couldn't help but shiver a little. She knew all people changed, but she still clung to that small shred of hope that some part of her teammate would still be left. It had been six years since he left though, and nineteen was many years older than they had been.

Steeling herself, she undid the lock and ducked inside.

The first thing she noticed besides the obvious body on the other side of the room was the smell and dampness of the room. She had avoided looking at him first, in order to assess what was going on. The room was cold and clammy, and it smelled of mold and disuse. She knew if she had to stay here for any prolonged amount of time she would start to sneeze or cough.

She looked at him next, and to her credit, she was just barely able to stifle the gasp that wanting to sound.

He was looking at her, as she figured he would be, being the only other person in the room. His eyes weren't red, but that didn't seem to matter, as he had enough blood running down his face and arm to make up for the lack of color. There was no trace of emotion on his face, but Sakura still thought he looked ragged. Bruises covered him, and she didn't have to wonder what happened here.

She had determined earlier to forgive her teammates and teacher from keeping his arrival to her, but now she felt that anger returning. If they had said something last night, then maybe she could've stopped this. He had come into the village peacefully, so why was there a need for violence now? She knew that some people were cruel, and she supposed that others didn't hold any sympathy for a traitor. Not like she did.

He was half kneeling, his knees unable to fully reach the ground, the chains binding his hands either too long or too short for him to stand properly. She supposed that they meant it that way, to make him as uncomfortable as possible. Then again, she didn't think he would be able to stand anyway, if she was reading his exhaustion right.

She didn't know how much time she took standing there staring at his wounds, but she was surprised when she heard his voice.

"Sakura."

She jumped slightly, and looked back to his face. His voice was slightly raspy, as she expected it to be, but truthfully, she hadn't expected him to say anything. It wasn't said with any malice, and if anything, it was posed as a greeting. She shivered a little. She always liked when he said her name.

"Sasuke."

She saw some of the tension wound in him dropped slightly as she said it, and she wasn't sure what to think of that. She was relieved to see him, and she thought that maybe he felt the same. It had been a long time, after all. She knew that he had to have come back for a reason, though she didn't try to dilute herself by coming up with a reason. She was just satisfied enough to know he had one.

Stepping closer, she noticed the chakra bonds wrapped tightly on his wrists, the ones connected to the chains in the walls. Of course they wouldn't want him to have access to any hand seals or anything he could use to escape. If he willing came here, she wondered for a minute why they locked him up at all if he was going to cooperate.

She pushed the thought aside as she spoke. "I'm going to heal you now." He only nodded at her, and she was amazed he didn't argue or question whether she could.

She got close enough to touch him, reaching towards the wound on his head first, and he simply closed his eyes. She was a little shocked, but she didn't let it distract her from what she was doing. She was half expecting them to spring open in spinning shades of red, but she thought that his Sharingan probably didn't work if his chakra was cut off.

He did nothing, however, and Sakura realized that she didn't really know this Sasuke. It was obvious he had changed, but she had no idea to what extent. It would take a long time to get used to him, she supposed.

For a moment, she feared that she wouldn't get to, and her chakra faltered. He opened an eye in response, but she only took a second to shake her head clear of negative thoughts. She would have time to think later. Right now she had a task to do.

Maybe she wasn't quite right about him not really being Sasuke, as she thought about it again. Maybe he was still the Sasuke she knew, only slightly different because he did what he needed to do. She wondered if he really did kill Itachi like he planned. For his sake, she hoped he did.

She watched the last of his wounds close and stood from her kneeling position. Most of the bruises were faded, and she knew that within a day or two they would disappear completely with the aid of her chakra. Satisfied, she took a step back. She would like to stay, but there were a few things she wanted to do.

She reminded herself of his rasp again, and rearranged her first item on her mental to-do list so it was visiting her mentor again. He seemed frailer than he should while she was so close, and she made a note to ask about what they were feeding him.

"Thank you."

She blinked for a minute as the familiar words sparked a memory of hers, remembering a time she didn't exactly like too. It sounded genuine, which was slightly odd, but she couldn't deny that it made her happy. It may have taken this long, but at least she could do something for him.

She didn't say anything but nodded instead before leaving, smiling at him for the first time in a long time. He didn't return it, but she could almost imagine a smile in his eyes if she tried hard enough.

-

-

"What do you mean we don't need to bother?"

Sakura's voice rose in pitch a little, but she thought it understandable so didn't try to hold herself in check. She had come to Tsunade to ask about his nutrition and environment. Being a medic, she had some rights to interfere with some aspects of prisoners. She mentally frowned at the thought of referring to her teammate that way.

Tsunade shared a look with Jiraiya, who was standing slightly behind her on the right side. Sakura had worried at first that she was interrupting something, but it appeared that he was just here to visit, if the pair of sake dishes on the edge of her desk was any indication. She was too concerned about Sasuke to worry too much.

"He's been deemed too much of a threat by the elders. They will not budge on it. They want him gone."

And just like that her world was falling apart all over again, and there was no ground to stop the descent.

They were going to execute her teammate on the word of the elders, and she internally raged at the thought of not being able to do anything. The elders only had some decision-making power because they had convinced the villagers that sole power in the form of the Hokage could be dangerous. Tsunade was still in charge ultimately, but there were always some things she wasn't aware of, things they had agreed upon behind her back. Sometimes she couldn't do anything about it.

Sakura tried to keep her rage in check. She knew that wasn't going to help Sasuke, no matter how much better it made her feel. She was almost kicking herself for not asking about this earlier. Before, she had been wanting to see him with her own two eyes too much to wait any longer.

She had been in a rush this morning, but she had heard the whole story now. He had disposed of Orochimaru as it grew closer to the day the snake wanted to take his body. After that, he tracked Itachi for a few years until he caught up with the elder Uchiha and ended him. He had came back next, and now he was sitting in a prison cell.

Even after coming back willingly and enduring everything they put him through, despite his peaceful cooperation, it still wasn't enough to make the elders change their minds. She thought that they would at least want to keep him around because of his bloodline, but she guessed blood wasn't everything anymore. She sighed quietly, putting a blank face on.

"When?"

The Hokage was silent, glancing at Jiraiya again. "Tomorrow."

"What!?" Sakura's calm was destroyed in an instant. The look on her mentor's face signified that Naruto had reacted in the same way.

"But that's so soon! There must be something you can do, if-" She was cut off.

"Why, Sakura? Why should I!?" Sakura went silent as her teacher rose her voice. For a moment, she had forgotten who she was speaking too. It didn't matter if the woman had been like a mother to her, or if they had shared a bond of teacher to student. She was still the Hokage. "I am the Hokage. I have to look out for the good of the village."

Sakura bit the inside of her lip to prevent her from speaking out. It was always the village. Sacrifice, that was the ninja way. They were nothing more than tools in a world of black and white. It was always one way or another, each decision made with cool assessment like a machine. She had nothing against protecting the village, but how could they do that when eventually their decisions were going to leave them with nobody left to protect it?

"I know what he means to you and Naruto, and Kakashi too. Just because he's your teammate will not save him this time. He is a traitor. He sowed his seeds and how he must reap the consequences. Don't start any trouble."

After all he did, it still wasn't enough. He had rid the world of two huge threats even though he had to risk much to do it, and it wasn't enough. They weren't enough to save him.

"Since when do we abandon our own?" Sakura's voice was small, and she hadn't really meant it directed at Tsunade, but the older woman answered anyway.

"When they abandon us."

Her words were steel, and they cut Sakura deep. She knew it was partly true, but she couldn't deny the hurt that washed through her. He was here now right? He had come back. He may have abandoned them for a little while, but couldn't her mentor see the significance in him coming back? He came back to them. Sakura thought that was worth it's weight in salt.

She asked about the time and place of the execution, and she was slightly appalled to find that it was going to be public. The elders had no sense of saving some honor for traitors, it seemed.

Sakura knew it wasn't all Tsunade's fault, but she didn't know who else to direct her pain towards. Even if her mentor had nothing to do with it, a little part of her still died. With a hanging head, she asked one more thing.

"Do you need anything else?"

Tsunade was quiet before answering. Jiraiya had made no comments the entire time she was here. "Let go, Sakura."

Sakura didn't look at her teacher, not knowing what she would see there. She knew her shishou had been through her own trial of heartache, but she didn't want to see pity.

She turned to go without answering. She may have been willing to do many things for the woman that instructed her, but that was one order she couldn't follow.

Tsunade sighed as she watched her apprentice exit the office. Immediately, Jiraiyas hand came to her right shoulder, and she reached up with her left to cover his. There was no easy way to have that conversation, but she was glad for the support she had. She was even more glad that he had said nothing, letting her handle it by herself. She shot him a grateful look.

They may have had their differences, but they were still good friends. They were more than that; they were teammates. Their bond was not one easily matched after so long, and Tsunade sighed again. She supposed it was similar to Sakura.

She watched the emotion pass over the younger girl's face, and it broke a little piece of her to see it. It seemed that no matter what had happened between them, Sasuke was still Sakura's teammate, and that was enough for the other.

A part of her wanted the Uchiha to suffer for hurting who was like a daughter to her. On the other hand, she wanted to help the brat for the same reasons. For her, it may have been enough to lessen his punishment just because of Sakura. The elders were unrelenting, however, and shot down any of her suggestions to ease the situation. She had tried, no matter what the others thought.

The Uchiha should suffer, but not if it killed two of the young people she was most fond of in the village. She sighed again, and the hand on her shoulder started to rub gently. She was glad for his silence. It was hard enough to think normally.

Jiraiya had been present for Naruto's outburst. It had taken sharp words from both of them to calm him enough. After, he had assumingly stormed off to Sasuke's cell. She was mildly surprised he didn't run into Sakura on the way. It was too bad that she had to break the news herself.

She shook her head. "I'm getting too old for this. I need another drink."

-

-

Sakura went through the rest of her day in a haze.

Others seemed to sense the dark cloud hanging over her because nobody tried to talk to her any more than what was necessary. She still went for ramen with Naruto and Kakashi, like they tried to do once a week, but even that event was quiet. She knew Naruto was as frustrated as she was, and even if Kakashi didn't say anything, she knew he was troubled too.

She showed up at the hospital after leaving the ramen stand, and even if she was supposed to have a few days off to rest from her last mission, she found herself asking if they needed help anyway. Naturally they did, and she was glad for the partial distraction. If she was going to drown in her own thoughts, she might as well do something useful at the same time.

She walked home in silence after dark had fallen. The streets were quiet, and there were few people out. She was tired, but it wasn't from working for some of the day. Her tiredness came from inside, from the thought that even after growing so much stronger, she still could do nothing.

Throughout the day she thought through hundreds of scenarios that would let her stop what was going on, but they all ended the same way. If Tsunade couldn't convince the elders, there was little she could do. One way or the other, her teammate was going to die. Sasuke was going to die.

A painful gasp sounded before she could prevent it, and she stopped in her tracks. She had realized this earlier, but between her blank mask and burying herself in work, she hadn't fully faced it. Now that she had, the pain was too much for her to handle. She was glad nobody was around to witness.

She ran home as fast as she could, completely skipping out on the groceries she knew she needed to get. She wasted no time in returning to bed and curling up under her blankets, skipping out on unpacking her things or straightening her house.

She was still slightly mad at Sasuke, but that didn't change what she felt for him. She had meant what she told him the night he left, even if she hadn't fully understood what that meant at the time. She understood now, and nothing was ever going to change that. Love wasn't something that was forgotten so easily.

Sakura bit her lip as it trembled, willing herself not to cry. She had shed enough tears, and tears were not going to save him. She was a strong kunoichi, but raw strength wasn't doing her any good either.

He may have hurt her in the past, but she was still human. She wasn't beyond forgiveness if it was earned. And even though he may have done bad things, she didn't believe that he deserved to die.

That was her last thought before her weariness caught up with her, and a lone tear fell down her cheek as consciousness left her.

To be continued.

-

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Next part up soon. The real stuff comes then. I had to set up a background first. Thanks for reading.


	2. Chapter 2

The last part.

-

-

Today was the day of the execution, Sakura thought, standing outside of Sasuke's cell door again. She couldn't describe the heaviness that weighed down on her as she thought about it, but she was determined to push it away for at least this last visit.

She had a dreamless sleep during the night, and when she woke she wasn't entirely feeling rested. Things had been a little clearer in the morning though, and it had given her time to think and calm down.

Naruto wasn't here, she noticed. There was only faint traces of his chakra in the halls, like he had been here late last night or even earlier than her this morning. She half expected him to be here now, but she realized that even Naruto could only handle so much. Then again, he had probably tried to spend the night and only left when they kicked him out.

The thought warmed her a little. She wanted Sasuke to know he wasn't alone, even in these last moments.

She had donned different garments today for the occasion, opting for neutral grey and darks instead of her usual red. She thought it more fitting. She was going to treat this as a funeral because she would be grieving, even if nobody besides her teammates were.

Sakura entered the cell again, using her chakra to disable the lock. She had a goal today. She was going to tell Sasuke what he meant to her, even if he didn't feel the same. She had to put it to rest for herself, and she thought that maybe it could be one last comfort for him in some strange way. She knew if she was going to die, she would want to know at least one person loved her.

"Sakura."

He greeted her before she had a chance to look at him, and she found him just as bad as he was yesterday. The bruises had returned, but she noticed there was less blood. She still frowned, not bothering to hide it.

"Sasuke." She wasn't going to let today be a repeat of yesterday.

He looked tired, and Sakura supposed he probably couldn't sleep in chains. Still, he looked a little better than yesterday now that she gave it a minute, but it could be a figment of her imagination. Maybe it was just because he had seen people he knew after so long. She could hope.

"Sorry I couldn't do something about some food. They wouldn't let me bring anything in." Sometimes she still sought to fill silences with speaking. It helped calm her nerves. After so long, she really wasn't sure what to say to him anyway.

She stepped closer to him, fishing in her pocket as she did so. "I do have this though." She showed him the soldier pill as she removed it, and he nodded. He opened his mouth for her when she was close, seeing how he couldn't take it himself, and he closed his eyes as he swallowed. She couldn't help but notice how smooth his lips were as her fingers brushed them.

The chakra infused pill wouldn't do much for him unless the bonds were taken off his wrists, but besides the extra chakra, it also gave energy for them to keep going. He may be exhausted, but at least he wouldn't be stumbling.

She healed him after that, taking her time today, making sure his face wasn't marred and the bruises had completely faded before stopping. She may have wasted more chakra that way, but she thought if he had to go, he was going to do it dignified like they should allow.

Something had to be done about the elders so this never happened again.

When she was done she took a step back after getting up. Her knees ached slightly from the concrete floor, but she didn't care. He had gone through much more uncomfortable things, and today was not going to be about her. He spoke as she looked at him, and she was glad to see the rasp from yesterday had lessened a little more.

"They're going to execute me today."

He sounded resigned, like he knew this was going to happen all along. Sakura felt a switch click within her and exploded. Why had he come back if he knew this would happen?

"Tell me something I don't know!" Her outburst gave way to wobbling words, but she felt she had to continue. "Why…why would you come back if you knew?" She was struggling to keep a hold on her composure, determined to show that she was stronger than she used to be.

The look on his face answered her more than any words may have. It reminded Sakura of something Kiba had told her once.

When every brood of dogs was almost ready to be put to use, the Inuzuka's always took a pack of them out for a trial run before pairing them with other people. They usually took two to four dogs for two people, depending on the energy and ability of the dogs. Once in a while there were accidents. Kiba had described a run-in with a rogue group of cat-handlers. The panthers were ruthless, and one of the dogs had been torn to shreds before they realized what they were dealing with. Kiba and his sister barely escaped, and the other two dogs with them had disappeared. Sakura knew how bad the injuries were. She had treated them herself.

Kiba said that three days later both dogs showed up on the doorstep in the middle of the night. Their wounds were proof that they hadn't fared well against the panthers, and they were beyond saving. However, he told her that some animals had an instinct to return to where they were born and raised in order to die.

She realized then that Sasuke had come home to die. A tear rolled down her cheek against her will.

"…There was no color in Sound." She was surprised that he seemed to be answering her first question. She clung to every word, not knowing if she'd ever get another answer out of him. "It was just black and white, but…that made it so much easier to see the shades of grey."

She choked back a sob as she saw something in his eyes. She decided then that everything she had endured up to that point had been absolutely worth the look she was getting now. Sasuke had never been one for many words, but she knew this was his way of telling her he was wrong, or sorry, or something. It was the look of someone at peace with themselves. He had changed, and he was looking at her like she mattered.

Every moment she shared with him seemed to come to her at that moment, every time he ever protected her or did something nice for her. She saw their first meeting and ended with his thank you. It opened the floodgates, and Sakura couldn't hold back her tears anymore. She dropped to her knees and hugged him, clutching to any part of him she could before she never got the chance again.

He made a short frustrated sound, and Sakura noticed amid her breakdown that he was straining against his bonds. She took half a second to think about it before reaching up and sending a shock of her own chakra into the restraints, cracking the lock on them and sending Sasuke to his knees with a huff.

They were both still for a minute before she felt him raise his arms and hug her back tightly, and Sakura swore it was the best feeling in the world. His lips touched the top of her head, and the next thing she knew his nose was buried in the crook of her neck.

Her eyes widened, and she froze as he spoke. "I'm sorry." It was a whisper, but with them pressed so closely together, it rang in her ears more clearly than anything ever had. With those words he summed up everything that ever happened between them.

Things had never been simple for them, but she thought that maybe this could be. In that moment it was just the two of them, and there were no villages, no elders, no ruthless older brothers, snake-nin, or murders to change anything they felt. She memorized the feeling of just being held, of feeling _loved_, even if that wasn't what this was, and allowed herself to get lost in the moment.

She briefly wondered why he was being so expressive, but she supposed being on the brink of death did stranger things to people. Maybe he had just changed enough. Either way, the thought brought her back to reality, and she pulled back slightly in order to look at him.

"It's not fair." She looked up at him, and watched as his fingers came to brush her tears away. He couldn't keep up with the rate they were falling. It would figure that as soon as she had a chance at her happy ending, it would be taken away. "I love you."

He gave her a small smile in return, and even if he didn't say it, she knew he felt something similar. His eyes said so.

And maybe he did or maybe he didn't really love her. The point was that he was actually trying, and if that's what he offered, that's what she would take. That was all she really wanted from him anyway.

His hand came around her shoulder to cup her cheek, and Sakura realized what he was going to do before. He gave her enough time to change her mind if she wanted, but she leaned into him instead. Then Sasuke was kissing her, something she had stopped dreaming about after he left, and she was glad to at least have that. She would keep it forever.

"I want to save you," she whispered when they parted, and Sakura didn't see the look on his face as he pulled her head to his chest. He stroked her hair as he answered her, his head pressed against hers so his lips were near her ear. She started to cry again, water running down her face out of her control.

"You already did."

She could only clutch him tighter as she cried. He rubbed her back soothingly, but his other arm didn't cease in holding her to him. She wished she could make this moment last forever.

Loving Sasuke always had hurt, and she realized now that it would probably always continue to. She may have been hurt before, but now she wondered if someone could really die from heartache.

-

-

When the Hokage's apprentice stepped out of the cell and shut the door, there was a blank expression worn. There was no evidence of tear tracks, and she didn't say anything to the guards as she left the wing. Her eyes may have had a slight shine to them, but they said nothing to her either.

The mask she had built was in place. When it was, she liked to feel nothing at all.

The medic halted when a messenger appeared in front of her. The dark garb stood out against the daylight, but he didn't seem bothered. Without preamble or acknowledgement from her, he spoke.

"The Hokage summons you to her office."

She nodded, and the messenger dispersed in a flurry of leaves. She turned towards the tower and tried not to think about anything.

-

-

"I have a mission for you."

Tsunade watched her apprentice very closely. Her face gave nothing away as she simply nodded, but the older woman couldn't help but think something was off. Then again, if it were she and Jiraiya in the spot that Sakura was in now, she wasn't sure if she would be acting any better.

Something seemed dead in her student, and it was heartbreaking to see. There wasn't any life behind those green eyes now, and the Hokage regretted not being able to change anything. She was supposed to be in power in the village, and yet all she could do now was sit back and watch.

"I know you might not want it, but it's not necessary to leave right away." She coughed slightly as she went into her business mode. "One of the lords in the west region of Earth requested a competent medic to contain an illness that has been going around his household. He is particularly worried about his wife, so he asked for assistance. Fire was a long way for a simple request that his own country should have been able to handle, but he wanted one of the best. If you want it, you can leave at your leisure, so long as it's within the next week."

The younger girl took in all the information silently before nodding. "I accept."

Tsunade handed the mission scroll over without a word and waited until the girl had left before sighing heavily and putting her face into her hands. It had been a long time since she had seen Sakura so cold, and the older woman feared that whatever spark of life that had been left within her was going to slip away with the life of the Uchiha.

-

-

Naruto kicked at a stone in the middle of the road while stuffing his hands in his pockets. Life pretty much sucked right now, and for once there wasn't anything he could do to change it.

Sasuke was going to be executed today in front of the whole village, Kakashi had made himself scarce, Granny Tsunade couldn't do anything, and he was watching Sakura wither away for the second time.

He sighed. He had tried to go to the elders himself, determined to make them see from their point of view, but they had barred him entrance as soon as he was within sight of the building. He couldn't get in, and if he did anything too drastic, they would either find some way to put him on the chopping block next or take away any chance of him succeeding Tsunade as Hokage.

He wasn't putting being Hokage over Sasuke by any means. If it came to that, he would willing give up his shot at village leader to save his teammate. The problem was that he couldn't stop what the elders were doing or planning to do in the future (which he was sure was something bad) unless he was in position to do it. For that, he had to be on his best behavior. Tsunade had already warned him about it.

For once, he was being very un-Naruto-like by doing nothing. And while it didn't sit well with him, he couldn't force people to do what he wanted them to. Besides, Sasuke had seemed pretty resigned when he was there. He was still confused why the bastard came back in the first place if he was just going to kick the bucket, but he couldn't deny that he was glad they meant enough to him to even bother coming back for however short a time it was.

But just because Sasuke didn't seem willing to fight it didn't mean he was happy about it. He didn't want to watch Sakura go through another disappointment either. He hadn't exactly fulfilled the promise he made to her, even if Sasuke did come back, but this time, if he went, Naruto couldn't bring him back again. He didn't know what would happen to Sakura then.

As if his thoughts summoned her, when he looked up he spotted his teammate heading in his direction. They stopped about a foot apart, and even if he was known to be a little dense sometimes, he didn't miss the sadness that radiated from her. He understood that well enough.

"Are…you going? You know, today?"

It probably wasn't a very good topic to bring up, but he thought if she was going to go, he could at least be there to lean on if she needed him. He knew Sakura was strong and liked to prove she was, but it was a nice gesture anyway.

She shook her head, keeping her eyes to the ground. "I just…want to be alone."

Naruto nodded, even if she couldn't see it, and put his hand on her shoulder. She came up to grab it with his own, and he stayed still, giving her a minute of support.

He didn't blame her for not wanting to go. He didn't really want to either, but he was going for Sasuke. There was going to be at least one person in the crowd that cared about what happened to him.

He also understood about wanting to be alone. He grew up alone and knew what it was like to want to be around someone more than anything, but as he grew older he learned the value of having time to yourself too. Being alone wasn't always a bad thing.

Now that he looked at her, she seemed a little resigned too. He thought that it was better than being hysterical or something, but it was hard to quit like this. Most of him raged at the thought, and it had nothing to do with Kyuubi.

"I hate quitting like this, but there isn't much we can do, you know? I would even give up being the Hokage if it would make a difference, but…he said he didn't have much of a reason to live." He felt her stiffen under his palm but continued. "I guess…I don't really blame him. Sure, he had us, and I don't think he meant to sneer at that, but still."

Naruto sighed. "It's probably too late now, but I keep thinking that maybe if you somehow would've asked him to live for you, that he might've done it."

He wasn't sure what it was exactly that gave him the feeling, but he was pretty sure it had been Sasuke's actions when he visited. Naruto had been surprised he asked after Sakura at all, and it just wasn't fair that as soon as some things could've started going right, everything would go wrong.

-

-

Tsunade watched as the last Uchiha was led up to the makeshift stage set up in the center of the village. He coughed slightly as they went, and she saw the guard in back shove him forward as he slowed down. She looked away.

She spotted Naruto near the center of the crowd, knowing that he would be right up front if everyone else wasn't worried about him acting up. Something akin to determination shined in his eyes, and she took a minute to be proud of the person she knew would follow in her footsteps. She trusted him enough to know that he wasn't going to start anything today, but she almost felt sorry for the elders when he could do something about them. Almost.

Somehow, even if it was putting the village first, standing off to the side with Jiraiya while the execution of a traitor was about to occur, she didn't feel any sense of accomplishment.

They had the Uchiha bound behind his back, without chakra restrictors she noted, and she watched as they made him kneel facing the crowd of anxious faces. There were some crows of triumph, some sounds of disgust, and others that just sounded plain bored. She thought that this whole thing was stupid as she spotted the executioner. The elders had opted for a more classical display in a mock honor of the clan he belonged to, and the sun glinted off the katana the executioner drew from its sheath.

A chord inside of her tightened, and a slight feeling of anxiety started to form. She wasn't surprised to see no trace of Sakura. She didn't blame the girl for wanting to stay away from this horrible place. There was nothing but death mucking up the air, and if she wasn't Hokage, she wouldn't be here. As far as she knew, the medic had already left for Earth, and Tsunade thought it was for the best.

The crowd quieted as they sensed something about to happen, and the blade-wielder stepped closer to the Uchiha and the two guards posted at his sides took a few steps back. Everyone held their breath as the katana was raised into the air, and then the Uchiha flickered.

The executioner stopped as the flicker showed again, lowering the blade to the ground. Tsunade stood straighter as she watched coal black orbs fade to a green she recognized. The others seemed to have come to the same conclusion because they all froze as dark locks bled to pink, and the form of the Uchiha became Sakura's.

Every ninja having to do with the patrol was on alert after that moment, realizing what had just happened. However, Tsunade noted that they didn't think Sakura had anything to do with it and that she must have been forced. They were confused at the moment, and she supposed she didn't really blame them. After all, this group wasn't one of hers. They operated on elders' orders.

They moved closer to undo her bonds, and Tsunade stilled as Sakura met her eyes from across the square. She spoke in a regular tone, but somehow the Hokage heard her over all the noise as people reacted.

"What they're doing is wrong."

This group thought they made a mistake, and Tsunade saw the spark in Sakura's eyes too late as they moved to release her.

"Don't!"

She yelled and moved too late as the ropes behind Sakura snapped, and the girl formed the hand seals to disappear in a poof of smoke.

There was chaos as confused villagers and ninja tried to make sense of what was going on. Tsunade made ready to start barking orders and follow her apprentice when there was a tug on her right hand. She turned to find Jiraiya stopping her.

"Come on, Hime."

He tugged at her hand, and instead of ordering the search party, she found herself following him. They would send out a search party with or without her instruction anyway.

-

-

When the smoke cleared, Sakura appeared near the very edge of the village and sprinted for the exit. She wasn't anywhere close of being in the clear yet, and she knew she was going to be pursued shortly, if they weren't already on her already. She probably had a few minutes at the most, and seconds at the least.

She wasn't sure if they would follow _her_ exactly, but she figured that they would if they wanted answers. They probably wanted to know why she had been there and not him, and they probably wanted to know why she was running away if she was innocent.

A slow churning formed in her stomach at the thought of what she was doing, but she pushed the feeling away. She didn't have time to worry about small things right now. As much as it hurt to do so, she had to get out of here now. There was no other way.

As she flashed through the walkway, she spotted a familiar bench and realized that she had walked this path once before. Moonlight and tears was what she most remembered, and cryptic words that only made sense now. The thought kept her from her destination just enough for her to feel a presence. She slowed, despite knowing she had to leave. She turned to find Naruto.

"I guess this is it, huh?" He scratched his head, and she couldn't help the slightly guilty look on her face.

"Not forever." She tried to smile at him, but it came out a bit strained. She had deeply wanted to involve Naruto, but the plan had been last minute at best, and she knew that any involvement on his part would ruin his dream.

To her surprise, he returned the smile slightly as he came closer. "Tell that bastard that he better take good care of you until you get back." He paused for a second, the smile dropping from his face. "When I'm Hokage…"

She nodded. "I know you will be." She was filled with pride as he beamed at her, and she didn't hesitate to give him one last hug. She wiped at her eye as she turned to go, and then she left without a backward glance. His vow held promise, and she knew that the world would be a better place after he got a hold of it.

-

Naruto didn't start as Kakashi emerged from the foliage on the side of the road. Naruto was still looking down the way Sakura had disappeared.

"They had to do something."

He could tell that Sasuke felt something. It might not be much right now, but it was something, and for Sasuke, that was saying a lot. It may not be a lot now, but it could be eventually. The more he thought about it, the more he knew it was true. Now he just wondered how long it had been there.

Kakashi said nothing, and Naruto turned to look at him as he asked a question to the man who had once been his sensei.

"Are you going to go after them?"

The silver haired man looked up from his ever present book before curving his eye into a smile. "Go after who, Naruto?"

Naruto couldn't help it. He laughed. Even if it was ridiculous to think now, he had a feeling that things would be just fine.

He put his hands behind his head as he looked back down the path. There wouldn't be any tears today. He knew they'd be back. It would be soon, if he had anything to say about it.

He was still angry at Sasuke for leaving, but that was something not related to this at all. He wasn't mad at them for leaving now. They were doing what they had to do. Sasuke didn't stand a chance otherwise.

Naruto was going to have to do his part too, in order to make sure they had one when they returned. He was going to do something. It was going to start with the elders.

-

-

Sakura flew past the wall without looking back. She didn't know why the news hadn't gotten to the perimeter yet, but she decided to count her blessings and keep pressing on. If there was trouble, she would just have to deal with it when she came to it.

She did worry slightly about being pursued though. She probably should have had followers by now. She didn't think she was that fast, even if she had a few moments head start. A fleeting thought went through her mind, but she dismissed it. She doubted the guards had been called off.

She jumped into the trees as soon as she reached them and looked around her. In the next instant, Sasuke appeared beside her, and she relaxed slightly. He had made it outside the village, and by some miracle, so had she.

She was also glad to see that he had grabbed her bag, as it bounced lightly on his shoulder. She didn't know what he did after he switched places with her in the cell, but she was a little surprised to see that part of it included going to her house. She wondered what he grabbed exactly.

She made a motion in order to take the bag, but he waved her hand aside. She frowned slightly at him, but he only fixed the bag so he had a better grip on it, a silent declaration that he wasn't going to let her carry it. She huffed a little, but inwardly smiled at the gesture.

She watched his eyes blink from black to red as he scoped the surroundings, and Sakura felt out slightly with her chakra to see how close their followers were. She didn't feel them, which puzzled her, and she didn't miss the thoughtful look Sasuke had before turning his attention back to her.

He was looking at her strangely, and she looked down at what he was looking at only to find her hands were shaking. She briefly wondered how he noticed that, but then realized that the Sharingan picked up a lot of things. Her hand didn't stop shaking no matter how hard she tried, and she swallowed thickly as she realized what they just had done.

There may have been a reason, but she basically just betrayed her home, even if it wasn't forever. She had to take a deep breath, which was hard while running, but she somehow managed to push the thoughts away until she could deal with them. She had made up her mind in that prison cell about what she was going to do, and she wasn't changing her mind.

She would just have to treat this like a mission. Their lives weren't always sunshine and rainbows. Everyone had to make tough decisions eventually. She had made hers. She would not regret it. One look at the man next to her reaffirmed her thoughts. They would have killed him otherwise, and she was having none of that.

When she thought about it, it wasn't really betrayal anyway. They had always taught those in the academy to do the right thing. That was what she was doing now. She had to stand up for what she believed in, or everything they ever taught her would be wrong.

To her surprise, Sasuke reached out with his hand to take up hers. The gesture filled her with strength as she smiled softly at him. It reminded her that she wasn't alone, and that they would get through this.

-

-

She didn't know how far or for how long they ran, but soon she realized that they were at the Valley of the End. They came to a halt hovering over the water, and Sakura didn't hide the puzzled look on her face.

She had heard about what happened here from Naruto, and she didn't think it was someplace that either one wanted to see ever again. However, it was Sasuke that had prompted her to slow down, and when she looked at him, he seemed like he wanted to say something.

They hadn't gone gar, and they probably only had a few minutes. They couldn't risk masking their chakra so close to the village when they still needed it to get away. She thought for a second that maybe Sasuke's chakra hadn't returned all the way from being bound, and decided not to question him. She hated to bring up anything that would upset him, and if he really wanted to say something, she wasn't going to stop him from doing so.

Neither one said anything for a minute, and then Sakura spoke, not able to handle the silence anymore with him looking at her so intently.

"I can take that you know." She pointed to her bag that was resting on his shoulders.

"I know," he said simply, and took a second to readjust it before leaving where it was. "I got it."

She sighed and shook her head as a small smile came to her face. Some things about him were so different, but others didn't change.

-

-

To say that Tsunade was surprised at the pair who appeared on the water across from them would be an understatement.

She had been skeptical when Jiraiya had started leading her away from the village in a rush, but she hadn't protested. He hadn't led her on any wild goose chases without a reason, so she trusted that he knew what he was doing.

How he knew these two would come here, she had no idea. She assumed it was from all the years of watching people. He had always been rather good at reading them.

They had only been here a few minutes, and truthfully, she wanted to burst out from behind the rocks that hid them. They were right there in front of her, standing on the water. Even if Jiraiya didn't help, she was confident she could at least get one of them. If she got Sasuke, she knew Sakura would stick around.

And who knew, maybe at this point it would work both ways.

Before she could act on this though, Jiraiya had placed a solid hand on her shoulder to hold her back. She gave him a frustrated look but stayed still. She didn't know what the Toad Sage had planned, but she had always trusted him.

"Just watch."

She would, but she would do it with a frown on her face. She was not happy.

She wanted to beat the Uchiha for hurting her student the first time. Then, she wanted to heal him and beat him again. She almost shook with rage at the thought of him convincing her to betray her village and her people. That thought alone almost caused her to act even if Jiraiya warned her not to, but a nagging voice in the back of her mind (which also sounded like Jiraiya, imagine that) told her no.

-

-

Sakura bent down to splash water on her face, keeping the balance of chakra in her legs to keep her afloat but letting her hands dip down. She did this a few times before wiping away the stray drops and standing back up, turning to face Sasuke. He was still watching her, and instead of filling the silent void with words like she wanted to, she was waiting for him to speak.

Eventually, like she knew he would, he did. He sighed deeply, rubbing his face. "Why did I let you talk me into this?"

_Because I love you_ went unsaid. "Because you trust me, and you knew it would work." That was close enough to the same thing anyway.

He frowned slightly, and she found that she preferred his rarer smiles that didn't signify hundreds of things going through his mind at once. She knew they would probably have this discussion eventually, but she wasn't going to back down now, not when it worked and they were one step closer to succeeding.

"Do you realize what we just did? You just-"

She cut him off with a shake of her head, inwardly pleased that he used 'we'.

"I'd rather do the right thing and leave than stay and hate myself forever. Besides, if we hadn't gone along with my plan," she pointed vaguely in the direction of the village as she finished. "Then we'd both be dead."

Sakura let the implication make itself clear. She had lived without him before, and it had taken her a long time to recover some sense of normality. She wasn't about to do it again, especially when she could do something about it. If she had to leave the village to do it, well…she had already made that decision.

Without knowing he had gotten any closer, Sasuke grabbed her pointing arm and used it to pull her to him, encasing her in a hug. She buried her nose into his chest, knowing that she could definitely get used to this. She faintly heard him mumble to himself and smiled when she picked up on some of the words. It sort of sounded like 'why did it take me so long'.

"…I have a plan." He spoke up a little louder next, and she leaned back a little to look up at him. "Until we can go back."

She smiled brightly at him as he implied that he was coming back too. He kissed her forehead, and she basked in the gestures that were becoming not so rare. She reached up to kiss him for real, seeing what was allowed. She was pleased he didn't pull away, and he even offered a small smile of his own in response.

She could definitely get used to this. Even if things would be hard for a while, she knew they would be okay as long as they could stay like this. Even if Sasuke only ever opened up for her, that would still be fine.

She held out her hand, and he didn't hesitate in taking it. "I'll explain on the way."

Sakura smiled brightly, knowing that even things were tough, she hadn't been as happy as she was in a long time.

-

-

Tsunade was dumbstruck as she watched the pair kick up water as they departed from the valley, all thoughts of capture forgotten.

She could truthfully say that was the happiest she had seen her apprentice in the last six years. It was a genuine happiness, and not some fake smile she plastered on her face for someone else's benefit. The Hokage was slightly amazed.

Jiraiya was smiling somewhat smugly as they stood, and Tsunade took a halfhearted swipe at him. He dodged her, naturally, but the smile didn't leave his face. She found it contagious, and soon she was smiling too.

To his surprise, she grabbed his hand. "Thank you."

It said many things, but she was thankful for him showing this to her. Even if it was against protocol and her instincts to take care of Sakura, she wanted the other girl to be happy. It had been a hard decision to make, but she wasn't going to go after them, if only because of Sakura.

Seeing what she saw, even after not believing that the Uchiha was even capable of smiling, put her at more ease with the situation.

She hadn't been able to justify Sakura's happiness as a reason against the elders, but she could here. Sakura deserved some happiness, and if Sasuke could give it to her, then so be it.

She nodded herself before taking a step in the direction of the village and looking toward Jiraiya.

"I believe I owe you a drink."

-

-

Konoha's monument stared back at Naruto as he gazed. He was more a man of action than a man of thought, but the past week gave him a lot to think about. Things had calmed down for the most part now, though patrols and surrounding areas where on the lookout for his two teammates. He didn't know how far the information had traveled, but he hoped they got far enough away.

He didn't sense the form coming around the corner until she crashed into him, and then he found himself with an armful of Hinata as he tried to steady her on her feet.

Her face rivaled the apples that Sakura used to cut for Sasuke. "I'm so sorry, N-Naruto-kun." She must have realized what he had been doing, for she quickly added, "I d-didn't mean to interrupt."

She was cute when she blushed, he noted. He shook his head. "Nah, it's okay. I should be going anyway."

Despite his comment, neither of them moved, and Naruto found himself fine with just standing in her company. It was kind of nice to have someone to talk to, even if she only bumped into him on accident.

She looked thoughtful a lot more gracefully than he did, he saw, and after a few moments, she spoke up in a small voice. "You did the right thing."

She didn't stutter, and he didn't have to ask what she was talking about. It made him feel a little better knowing that he wasn't in it alone. He bet that he had more support than he thought.

He smiled at her, and he knew from the way her eyes lit up that it was worth the risk of thinking about something that had been a sore spot for the last couple of days.

"Where are you headed?"

She gestured towards the Hokage's office, and after saying he was going there too, he convinced her to let him take her there.

When the got there, they found Tsunade chuckling at bit at a letter she was reading.

Naruto piped up. "Hey, Granny, what's up?" He received a small smile in response, and he went on alert as she didn't fix his annoying nickname for her.

"See for yourself."

He was slightly puzzled as she held out the scroll to him, and she full out laughed at his expression when he finished reading it.

_Lady Hokage,_

_I must thank you personally for sending such a competent team out so quickly. I'm very pleased to say that my wife and household are doing much better thanks to your apprentice. It's nice to see teams working so well together. That young man was very protective of his teammate, and they worked so efficiently. I should expect no less from the mighty Leaf. I look forward to doing business with you in the future._

-Fin

* * *

And there it is. Seriously, I remember at my fifth birthday party my dad asked my uncle if he wanted a piece of cake. He said a little one, and my dad said there was no such thing as he laughed. I'm beginning to think that's true. It seems nothing I write can stay super short unless I plan it that way, but even those get lengthy. Ho hum. Anyway, I hope you liked it.

Also, I'm pretty sure I didn't really make it clear, but the letter signifys that Sasuke and Sakura completed that mission that he picked up, and it symbolizes that they're still a part of the village. Or something. If you don't like that explanation, then you can ignore it if you want.

I'm also pleased that I have bits of JiraTsu and NaruHina (both of which I really like). Fufufu. If you don't like that, you can ignore the implications there too. After all, literature is about comprehension, and you can take whatever meaning out of it that you want. (And, if the apples really weren't red, because I don't remember, then _I don't care_. I'm sure a lot of you don't either, but it was something on the tip of my mind.)

It has been snowing since I got up, and seeing how I'm not going anywhere until class tonight (because of snow), I figured that if anyone else needed something to do today I could provide it.

Thanks for reading.


End file.
